Austrian Social Service
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The Austrian Service Abroad (Österreichischer Auslandsdienst) is a non-profit organization which was founded by Dr. Andreas Maislinger in 1998, created by section 12 (b) of the law for alternative services. It offers the possibility to substitute the 9-month domestic service with a 12-month service abroad. This is possible since 1992 and is based on an initiative by Andreas Maislinger. The service abroad (Auslandsdienst) can be done in three areas: memorial service (Gedenkdienst), peace service (Friedensdienst) and social service (Sozialdienst).
[edit] The Social Service
The social service supports the social and economic development of a country. It can be done at various placements or partner organisations. The organisation for services abroad currently offers 69 placements for social service at 32 separate partner organisations (as of January 2004). Therefore it is the biggest organisation supporting young men in Austria to do their service abroad. The partner organisations are spread over 22 countries and 4 continents and have a multitude of tasks and aims.
[edit] Assignments
The placements are with projects for street children, educational projects and children's villages, projects to help the aged or handicapped, to provide medical care and to support homosexuals. Furthermore there are environmental projects and projects supporting economic development in third-world countries.
